Verses 45-47. - And with a shield. Really, "a javelin" (see on ver. 6). David of course menitions only his arms of offence. As Goliath had reviled David by his god, so David now expresses his trust in the God of Israel, even Jehovah of hosts, whom the Philistine was dishonouring. This day.I.e. immediately (see 1 Samuel 14:33). Carcases is singular in the Hebrew, but is rightly translated plural, as it is used collectively. That all the earth may know, etc. As we saw on ver. 37, it was David's strong faith in Jehovah, and his conviction that God was fighting for him in proof of his covenant relation to Israel, that not only nerved him to the battle, but made Saul see in him one fit to be Israel's representative in so hazardous a duel.
17:40-47 The security and presumption of fools destroy them. Nothing can excel the humility, faith, and piety which appear in David's words. He expressed his assured expectation of success; he gloried in his mean appearance and arms, that the victory might be ascribed to the Lord alone.
Then said David to the Philistine,.... In answer to the contempt he held him in, and to the threatening words he gave him:
thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield; the word for "shield" is not the same with that so rendered, 1 Samuel 17:41; which his armourbearer carried before him, but with that translated a "target", which was between his shoulders, 1 Samuel 17:6; however, they were all weapons of war, either defensive or offensive:
but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied; the Lord of all hosts, in heaven and in earth in general, and in particular the God of the armies of Israel; which he was at the head of, led on, protected and defended, having a kind and merciful regard unto them, and which this Philistine had defied, reproached, and blasphemed; and now David was come, by a commission from this great Jehovah, to vindicate his honour, and to avenge his people on him: he had asked for a man, and now the Lord of hosts, as the Jews (l) observe, comes forth as a man of war, for the battle was his, as in 1 Samuel 17:47; and David was his messenger, and came in his name, and was the man into whose hands he should be given.
thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield; the word for "shield" is not the same with that so rendered, 1 Samuel 17:41; which his armourbearer carried before him, but with that translated a "target", which was between his shoulders, 1 Samuel 17:6; however, they were all weapons of war, either defensive or offensive:
but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied; the Lord of all hosts, in heaven and in earth in general, and in particular the God of the armies of Israel; which he was at the head of, led on, protected and defended, having a kind and merciful regard unto them, and which this Philistine had defied, reproached, and blasphemed; and now David was come, by a commission from this great Jehovah, to vindicate his honour, and to avenge his people on him: he had asked for a man, and now the Lord of hosts, as the Jews (l) observe, comes forth as a man of war, for the battle was his, as in 1 Samuel 17:47; and David was his messenger, and came in his name, and was the man into whose hands he should be given.
(l) T. Bab. Sotah, fol. 42. 2.